have produced very great dissatisfaction. The late Political Chief, J. B. Miller, seems to have abandoned his office, and the present incumbent is Capt. Wyly Martin. There are many who insist that Capt. Martin is not a constitutional Chief. The writer is not prepared to discuss that question. From his acquaintance with Capt. Martin he is constrained to believe that he would not take upon himself to exercise the duties of an office unless he believed he had the right to do so. But it is clear beyond a doubt that in times like these no man should hold an office the right to which is in the least questionable.

And now with all these parties, with all our jarring discords and discontents can it be questioned that a convention is absolutely necessary?

Jostus.

From a circular isued by the Committee of Safety and Correspondence for the jurisdiction of Columbia. Most of the circular was reprinted in The Texas Republican of August 22 and 29, 1835.

[At last after three months of doubt, dissatisfaction, discussion, dread and delay, they are ready to fight.]

COLUMBIA MEETING (SEPTEMBER 22).

The committee of Safety resolved that they augment the number of delegates to the convention at Washington on October 15, to seven in accordance with the suggestion of the Department of Nacogdoches.

The following persons were appointed to preside at the elections on October 5 for delegates to the Consultation:

At Velasco, Wade H. Bynum; Brazoria, John A. Wharton; Columbia, W. D. C. Hall; Chocolate Bayou, Henry Smith; Caney Creek, Robert H. Williams.

Resolved that the Chairman appoint a committee of three to prepare an address to the citizens of New Orleans; and

accordingly the Chairman appointed John A. Wharton, W. H. Jack, and W. D. C. Hall, of said committee.

Resolved, that information having come before this committee clearly proving that much danger is to be apprehended from the slave population; we therefore recommend that each town and neighborhood hold immediate meetings and elect a vigilance patrole, whose duty it shall be to adopt some prompt measures to keep the slave population in due subjection.

Resolved, that we recommend to every citizen to take up, punish, & deliver to his master any slave who may be found off his master's premises without a written permit.

BRANCH T. ARCHER, Chairman.
WM. T. AUSTIN, Sect.

From The Texas Republican, September 26, 1835.

COLUMBIA MEETING (SEPTEMBER 25).

News has just come from San Felipe that many of the citizens are anxious to leave for the war; therefore, to prevent their detention, the election officers are instructed to open the polls September 27 (Sunday) and also on October 5. Wharton was instructed to open the polls at Brazoria September 25, instead of September 27, and hold open one day. He is to open them again October 5.

At this meeting it was resolved that election officers might appoint substitutes, in case they also wanted to leave for the

war.

Summary from The Texas Republican, September 26,

1835.

(Concluded.)

THE DUANE LETTERS.

(Continued.)

JOHN JONES TO JAMES DUANE.

[Doctor John Jones of Welsh parentage was born in Jamaica, N. Y., in 1729 and died in Philadelphia in 1781. He was well educated in the schools of London, Paris, Leyden and Edinburgh. He settled in New York and there practiced his profession until the British occupation of the city when he went to Philadelphia and there resided for the rest of his life He was the personal friend as well as physician of Washington and Franklin, and attended the latter in his last sickness. He was an author on professional subjects and his letters here presented will attest his patriotism.]

Dear Sir

NEW YORK 20th June 1775

I had the pleasure of receiving your favor by Coll. Smith & Mr. Hartly & should have been very happy in shewing them every attention in my power, but unluckily I was obliged to go out of Town the morning after their arrival, & am just returned time enough to see them & pen half a dozen lines before they set off for Philadelphia. As to the political situation of our own country, I need say very little to one who is so well acquainted with it as you are yourself. You know my sentiments very well & I have explained them so freely as to offend some of our friends who though convinced of the errors & impropriety of their conduct have not liberality enough to acknowledge it & adopt a plan more worthy the good of their country than they have hitherto done.

I hear Coll. Washington is appointed Commander in chief of the American Army, & I sincerely wish he was already set out to direct their operations at Boston where General Gage will soon have a body of ten thousand men who cannot

long remain inactive, & I frankly own to you that I have no little concern for the fate of the first general engagement. The confidence & enthusiasm of the Provincial Army will I am afraid induce them to engage the regular troops too openly, in which case a defeat would be of the most fatal consequence, whereas if they were constrained to fight in what the young military coxcombs call the cowardly way, from under cover & broken ground, I would insure them victory.

Our apprehensions of the troops landing here are now removed by an express order from General Gage to go to Boston, where I suppose they are in general arrived before this. Wee expect our Governor every hour-Poor gentleman, what a reverse of scene will he behold when contrasted with that of his departure. I really pity him & hope he will adopt a calm prudential line of conduct. Wou'd it be amiss to offer a command to some of our acquaintance? I think it wou'd puzzle them to refuse, & I have already put the question of fighting very close & in the most pointed terms. After all I believe the fate of America will be decided at Boston, for which reason I am doubly anxious for their conduct-a little time will determine it. I can only add my warmest wishes for the success of a cause which I think has reason, truth & justice on its side-but the longest sword is generally made the criterion of these virtues. Adieu may Heaven inspire your councils & preserve the freedom of America, I am your affectionate friend & Humble Servt. JOHN JONES.

Dear Sir;

JOIN JONES TO JAMES DUANE.

NEW YORK July 13th, 1775.

I have had the pleasure of receiving your last favor of the 6th. instant by Mr. Rutledge & Mr. Middleton, whose short stay here I have endeavoured to render as agreeable as I

cou'd by every attention in my power. I wish I cou'd have made it more so; but alas!, with with an equal mixture of shame, grief & indignation I speak it, the wretched, contemptible policy of this Province in general, & of our friends in particular relative to the present interesting dispute, renders it almost impossible for a stranger of liberal spirit and genuine patriotism to pass his time agreeably among us. Such of our friends as were particularly concerned in the late erroneous measures of our Assembly, though convinced in the most mortifying manner of the impropriety of their conduct, yet have too much pride to make a generous acknowledgment of it, - by their future conduct atone in some measure for their past errors. Instead of this, they are watching with the little Jealous & envious eye of party spirit, every false step & imprudent maneuvre of their paltry Provincial rivals, who are by no means sparing of opportunities for

censure.

In the disposal of offices, particularly in the military department the most shameful partiality prevails, all or most of the inferior commissioned officers being selected from the creatures & absolute dependents of the governing party. Indeed the conduct of our gentry & principal people has rendered this vile arrangement almost inevitable. Wou'd to Heaven I cou'd throw a veil over this nakedness of my countrymen, but their shame is already gone forth among the nations, & those who visit us are scandalized at the disgraceful sight. To compleat this picture, & set our virtues in their most distinguished light, I have only to place the Connecticut Camp in the back-ground by way of shade to the illustrious piece; but I must drop the pencil, for I lose all reason, my friend, in viewing the dark original, & seized with honest rage too often pour it out with undistinguishing violence on Whig & Tory, so that you need not be much surprised at hearing I am taken up & confined for a mad Doctor, & under such circumstances as wee are, it might perhaps be a misfortune to be cured.